Adhyaya 26: The Sun’s Assumption of Form and the Gods’ Hymn of Pacification

Verse 1

प्रजापाल उवाच । शरीरस्य कथं मूर्तिग्रहणं ज्योतिषो द्विज । एतन्मे संशयं छिन्धि प्रणतस्य द्विजोत्तम ॥ २६.१ ॥

Prajāpāla said: “O twice-born one, how does the body assume a tangible form from—or in relation to—the luminous principle (jyotiṣ)? Cut through this doubt of mine, O best of Brahmins, for I bow before you.”

Verse 2

महातपाः उवाच । योऽसावात्मा ज्ञानशक्तिरेको एव सनातनः । स द्वितीयं यदा चैच्छत् तदा स्वात्मस्थितो ज्वलत् ॥ २६.२ ॥

Mahātapā said: “That Self—one alone, eternal, whose power is knowledge—when it desired a second, then, abiding within its own Self, it blazed forth.”

Verse 3

यः सूर्य इति भास्वांस्तु अन्योन्येन महात्मनः । लोलीभूतानि तेजांसि भासयन्ति जगत्त्रयम् ॥ २६.३ ॥

That power which is called the Sun—radiant indeed—through the mutual interaction of the great luminaries, sets the various lights in motion, and they illuminate the threefold world.

Verse 4

तस्मिन् सर्वे सुराः सिद्धा गणाः सर्वे महर्षिभिः । समं सूता इति विभो तस्मात् सूर्यो भवान् स्तुतः ॥ २६.४ ॥

There, all the gods, the Siddhas, and all the divine hosts—together with the great seers—proclaimed in unison, “(You are) Sūta (the charioteer/impeller).” Therefore, O Lord, you—Sūrya—are praised.

Verse 5

लोलिभूतस्य तस्याशु तेजसोऽभूच्छरीरकम् । पृथक्त्वेन रविः सोऽथ कीर्त्यते वेदवादिभिः ॥ २६.५ ॥

From that radiance, which had become wavering, a distinct embodiment swiftly arose; in its differentiated state, it is then spoken of as the Sun (Ravi) by the exponents of Vedic discourse.

Verse 6

भासयन् सर्वलोकांस्तु यतोऽसावुत्थितो दिवि । अतोऽसौ भास्करः प्रोक्तः प्रकर्षाच्च प्रभाकरः ॥ २६.६ ॥

Because he illuminates all worlds, and because he has risen in the sky, he is therefore called “Bhāskara”; and due to his preeminent brilliance, he is also called “Prabhākara.”

Verse 7

दिवा दिवस इत्युक्तस्तत्कारित्वाद् दिवाकरः । सर्वस्य जगतस्त्वादिरादित्यस्तेन उच्यते ॥ २६.७ ॥

He is called “day” (divā) and “daytime” (divasa); and because he brings that about, he is therefore termed “Divākara,” the maker of the day. Since he is the origin of the entire world, for that reason he is called “Āditya.”

Verse 8

एतस्य द्वादशादित्याः संभूतास्तेजसा पृथक् । प्रधान एव सर्वेषां सर्वदा स विबुध्यते ॥ २६.८ ॥

From him the twelve Ādityas arose, each distinct by his own radiance. He is always understood as the foremost among them all.

Verse 9

तं दृष्ट्वा जगतो व्याप्तिं कुर्वाणं परमेश्वरम् । तस्यैवान्तः स्थिताः देवा विनिष्क्रम्य स्तुतिं जगुः ॥ २६.९ ॥

Having seen the Supreme Lord extending his pervasion across the world, the gods who were situated within him came forth and sang praises.

Verse 10

देवा ऊचुः । भवान् प्रसूतिर् जगतः पुराणः क्षयामलैव प्रदहन् जगन्ति । समुत्थितो नाथ शमं प्रयाहि मा देवलोकान् प्लुष कर्मसाक्षिन् ॥ २६.१० ॥

The gods said: “You are the primordial source of the world; like the fire of dissolution, you burn the worlds. Having arisen, O Lord, return to calm; do not scorch the divine realms—O witness of actions.”

Verse 11

त्वया ततं सर्वत एव तेजः प्रतापिना सूर्य यजुःप्रवृत्ते । तिग्मं रथाङ्गं तव देवकल्पं कालाख्यमध्वान्तकरं वदन्ति ॥ २६.११ ॥

By you, O Sun—ardent in radiance—splendour is spread everywhere, set in motion in accord with the Yajus tradition. They describe your sharp, wheel-like disc, divine in its nature, as “Kāla” (Time), the remover of darkness.

Verse 12

प्रभाकरसक्त्वं रविरादिदेव आत्मा समस्तस्य चराचरस्य । पितामहसक्त्वं वरुणो यमश्च भूतं भविष्यच्च वदन्ति सिद्धाः ॥ २६.१२ ॥

They declare that the Sun (Ravi), the primordial deity, is the inner Self (Ātman) of all that moves and does not move. They also declare that Varuṇa and Yama embody the principle associated with the Creator (Pitāmaha), encompassing what has been and what will be—so say the accomplished Siddhas.

Verse 13

ध्वान्तं प्रणु त्वं सुरलोकपूज्य प्रयाहि शान्तिं पितरो वदन्ति । वेदान्तवेद्योऽसि मखेषु देव त्वं हूयसे विष्णुरसि प्रसह्य । इति स्तुतस्तैः सुरनाथ भक्त्या प्रपाहि शम्भो न इति प्रसह्य ॥ २६.१३ ॥

“Dispel the darkness, you who are revered in the world of the gods; depart into peace,” the Ancestors declare. “You are knowable through the Vedānta; in sacrificial rites, O god, you are invoked—indeed, you are Viṣṇu in full power.” Thus praised with devotion by those led by the lord of the gods, they urgently implore: “Protect us, O Śambhu!”

Verse 14

एवमुक्तस्तदा देवैः सौम्यां मूर्तिमथाकरॊत् । प्रकाशत्वं जगामाशु देवतानां महाप्रभः ॥ २६.१४ ॥

Thus addressed at that time by the gods, the greatly radiant one then assumed a gentle form; swiftly he became a source of illumination for the deities.

Verse 15

एतत्सर्वं सुराणां तु दहनं शामितं पुरा । सप्तम्यां खलु सूर्येण मूर्त्तित्वं कृतवान् भुवि ॥ २६.१५ ॥

All of this burning affliction of the gods was formerly quelled; indeed, on the seventh lunar day (Saptamī), through the Sun, it assumed embodied form upon the earth.

Verse 16

एतां यः पुरुषो भक्त्या उपास्ते सूर्यमर्चयेत् । भास्करेण च तस्यासौ फलमिष्टं प्रयच्छति ॥ २६.१६ ॥

Whoever, with devotion, attends upon and worships the Sun—Bhāskara—Bhāskara grants that person the desired result.

Verse 17

एतत् ते कथितं राजन् सूर्याख्यानं पुरातनम् । आदिमन्वन्तरे वृत्तं मातरः शृणु सांप्रतम् ॥ २६.१७ ॥

O King, this ancient narrative known as the Sūrya-ākhyāna has been told to you. Now, O revered Mother, hear what occurred in the primordial Manvantara.